Police arrived within a minute of Payne getting out of the car and making a run for it, and apprehended him in a nearby alley.

Tippetts took some 20 punches to the face and throat and suffered a broken larynx. Six titanium plates with screws were required to repair his throat.

“I should be totally fine,” Tippetts said, in good spirits after saving his girlfriend's car. “I’ve got a bunch of metal in my throat so now I have to worry about going through metal detectors.”

Police say Payne pushed and punched an officer during his arrest. He is charged with aggravated motor vehicle theft, two counts of second-degree assault, resisting arrest, obstructing a police officer and third-degree trespassing.

According to the police report, Payne said he asked the passenger for a ride, and the she and an unknown driver picked him up. He alleged the driver fled the scene when Walden and Tippetts approached, and that he later ran because he was "nervous."

But the passenger told officers that it was Payne who told her he "had a car and was coming to pick her up."

Payne, 20, was suspended from the University of Colorado football program last spring for becoming academically ineligible and violating team policy.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today's UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.